I Will Save You
by Wolves silver wind
Summary: Natsu only wants to save them, and he'll wait as long as he has to. **Two-shot
1. Chapter 1

**I Will Save You**

 **One-Shot-(Unless y'all want more chapters)**

 **A/N: To those of you reading my other stories: I AM SO SORRY! I haven't updated because: a. Writers block, b. No internet, c. Writers block. Also, I advise reading the lower Authors Note.**

 **_-_-xXx-_-_**

How long has it been? Many people ask that simple question. One year? Two years? Only one person knows exactly, some people guess, some people are too lazy to actually figure it out, but everyone knows about it. _Everyone_.

Fairy Tail, the life of Magnolia, it seemed. The guild that brought the action and made things dangerous but still fun. Everyone knows about Fairy Tail, and many people love it... ... but it has also gotten many enemies.

If someone asked another person what happened _exactly_ , they couldn't find an answer. No one knows what happened, but they all know the result. How only _one_ member of the famous guild remains. How that remaining member wishes and is trying to reverse what had happened.

Mest walks into the Fairy Tail guild hall, immediately feeling the cold atmosphere nip at his nose and fingers, trying to add him to its collection. He doesn't even bother with it and continues walking over to the bar where he sees the only other warm person.

On the bar counter, sitting with his legs swinging off of it, is none other than Natsu Dragneel. He doesn't remove his gaze from his family which is frozen in time-quite literally-in the guild hall. He could only answer the _why_ it had happened, not the _how_.

When they had been frozen he had recklessly tried to melt the ice. But it simply didn't work. Then he hunted the person who did it down; they were dead, the report says it was suicide. He tried a number of ways, going everywhere, travelling all across Earthland. He found nothing. Just knowledge useless to him and power he didn't truly care about gaining.

Mest sees the light haze over Natsu's eyes and can tell that his presence is unknown to the dragon slayer. He clears his throat. Nothing.

"Natsu." His name is the only sound in the frozen landscape, and the pinkettes eyes widen when he hears it. Turning his head he sees Mest standing nearby, patiently waiting.

"What's up? Is it the council?" Natsu asks, looking back across his guildmates. Gray looks like he's in a brawl with Elfman, mouth open as if shouting a battle cry. Makarov is frozen nearby on the bar wearing his warm smile, a mug in hand, speaking with Macao and Wakaba about... something. Something Natsu had long forgotten. The inner guild brawl extends to almost all of the guild, excluding some such as Lucy, Wendy, Levy, Juvia, and Erza who's absorbed in eating her also frozen strawberry cheesecake. Happy is holding a fish trying to get Carla to accept him, Pantherlilly watching from a distance with his arms crossed. They all seem to be having fun, oblivious to what had happened. To the fact that someone chose to just pause their lives and let the world go on like nothing has happened.

"Not this time, simply giving you company." Mest says, and Natsu simply grunts in return. Mest is, after all, also a Fairy Tail member, but his priorities mainly lie within the council, unless you include his frozen guild mates.

"712." Natsu states without batting an eye.

"712?"

"712. That's how many days they've been like this." Mest turns his gaze to the guild, imagining it as lively as always, with people fighting, laughing, drinking, chatting, living without a care in the world. Color and warmth and all that makes Fairy Tail, Fairy Tail. "Almost two years." Natsu adds, clenching his hands into fists. "Nearly two _fuckin_ years have gone by, and still nothing!" He gets through clenched teeth, fighting back his anger and tears.

"We'll free them." Mest says with a tone of pure determination. "We'll free them, no matter how long it takes, and Fairy Tail will be the biggest nuisance as always." A dry chuckle comes from Natsu at that, and he puts on a sad smile.

"Yeah..." He looks down, examining his attire. It had changed somewhat, his vest is now closed and he now has both sleeves, but the one on his right arm has the Fairy Tail symbol in red on his shoulder. But that isn't the only place with a Fairy Tail mark stitched into his clothing. He also has a pink one on the only black glove he wears on his right hand, a blue one stitched over his left pectoral, a green one on his back and another one in blue on his right upper arm. His constant reminder of his team and that they are there with him. As he shifts there's a shine of blue from beneath his scarf, and he knows what that is. "It's been almost two weeks since they made me a Wizard Saint," he says, pulling out the brooch, " _two weeks_. And yet when I know I should feel glad that the council finally accepts my strength, I can only feel that I don't deserve it!" A single teardrop comes from his eye and begins to freeze on his face. "What's the point of becoming or doing _anything_ when your family isn't there by your side, congratulating, celebrating, berating, criticizing, or doing anything with you! Why become a Saint at all..." Mest just sits on a cold stool and listens to Natsu release his pent-up thoughts. Patiently and silently he waits for the boy to continue. "Every time I come here with the brooch it makes me want to chuck it across the room, cause what's the point if my family is in _this_. And yet I know the point. I know. I _know_."

He then hops of the counter, looking at each frozen member with a trained eye, trying to find anything. Anything different, anything new, a movement of an eye, a twitch, _anything_. But he never does. After nearly two years of examining the living statues (he refuses to believe they're dead), he has learned every single thing about them all, and in a second would notice a difference. But there never is. They don't look a day old.

"I wonder if they can hear us." Mest says, also walking around, staring into Levy's open eyes as she forever reads a book about something that can't be deciphered through the ice.

"If they can, I doubt Ice Princess would be able to hear," Natsu begins, stopping in front of Gray, "since he was dumb enough to get trapped in his own element. What an idiot." But the humor that used to be in his brawls with the ice mage is no longer there. Just a sadness after a moment when Gray doesn't react in the slightest. "If they can hear us then they're being assholes by not fighting against this ice."

"Maybe they are." Natsu looks out of the corner of his eye and sees Mest poke the painting Reedus, who's picture is that of Asuka playing with the dragon toy Natsu had gotten her. He turns to see the painting being played out, frozen as well, both Alzack and Bisca watching from a nearby table as their daughter's mouth is wide open in a dragons roar, a smile clear on her face.

"Then they're doing a shitty job at it." The pinkette says coldly. "Ya hear that!" His voice seems to rattle the building, but Mest decides not to stop him. "If you can hear me and are fighting back, you ain't fighting hard enough! You're just wasting your lives away like this!" Under his breath he growls the final part, "See, they can't hear us." Natsu then turns to leave without another word, Mest not moving to stop him as he continues to look at the people.

"You guys really need to come back. We need you, all Fiore needs you, and Natsu, Natsu _really_ needs you guys." He places his hand on Wendy's head with a sad smile. "So come back." When he lifts his hand at first he doesn't notice really anything, until he clenches it into a fist. His hand feels... it feels... "Water?" He looks at it for a moment, puzzled before his eyes widen, understanding what that means. "NATSU!" He shouts, racing out of the building without a moment to waste. It doesn't take him long to find the pinkette, especially since everyone knows him and prevents him from moving quickly through towns. "NATSU! NATSU!" He shouts, and the pinkette turns in confusion, especially when a wet hand is shoved into his face.

"What is it?"

"Water!" He forces out, gasping for air. "W-water. I touched Wendy's head and water came off. _Water_." It doesn't take long for Natsu to figure out what that means. Water comes from ice when it melts.

They're melting.

They're gonna come back.

Natsu nearly cries at the mere thought, and, taking Mest's wrist, races back to the guild hall.

He bursts through the doors, nearly breaking them off their hinges, and notices the small sheen of water accumulating on the ground.

"Water..." He stares at it in awe as if he had been lost in the desert and had come across an oasis. "The ice is melting... The ice is melting!"

Soon afterwards they call Lamia Scale and the Council once Natsu calmed down. In return Lyon and his little group, including Jura, and some Rune Knights came to Fairy Tail. Even some reporters managed to get a few pics before being stopped by the council and other mages.

"Yep, it's melting alright." Lyon agrees, poking at his brother figure. "But why'd it take so long, what'd you do?" He asks Natsu who just shrugs.

"I yelled at them." Lyon and Jura just stare at him for a moment, blink, blink again, then burst out in laughter (a reaction quite odd for a Saint of such caliber). "Oi, I'm not _lying_!"

"We know you aren't." Jura says after calming down and composing himself. "It's just that that's something only a member of Fairy Tail would do. It seems it's finally coming back."

"It was never gone." Natsu says, watching as the Rune Knights examine the water that was once ice which is still keeping his friends trapped.

"We know. _Fairy Tail_ was never gone," Lyon says, smiling as he feels cold water slowly pool at his feet, "but still, they haven't been the same and neither have you for the past..."

"712 days."

"... 712 days." Lyon gives the pinkette a look which he ignores before continuing, "And it's just nice. They'll be back, you'll probably get challenged by Gray and even people that used to be stronger than you. And Earthland won't be as peaceful with you guys around. Everyone is looking forward to it." He admits, looking straight into Natsu's eyes. "Fairy Tail is _finally_ gonna come back. And this time it only took two years." At this Natsu laughs, realizing what he's talking about.

"Yeah, at least this time it only took two years."

"And we have you." Jura adds, remembering what they're talking about. Natsu doesn't speak after that, walking towards Wendy, the first one to show signs of coming back, and placing his own hand on her head.

"Keep fighting..." He whispers with a sad smile, "I'll always be here and wait, for all of you. So keep fighting. I believe in you."

After the first signs of them melting Natsu never left their side, getting rid of the excessive water and he makes sure to care for the spots free of ice. After two weeks, marking the 724 day of their freezing, the entire building has been unfrozen and only the people remain. Sitting at his usual spot on the bar Natsu sighs as he looks out at the people.

"Just how much longer will this take?" He asks out loud, only for his words to disappear into the misty air. Looking around he can see the members, imagining the future when they'll be back.

Erza will probably be pissed that her Strawberry cheesecake melted before she did and therefore went to waste. But he'd make sure to have an entire cake ready for her to make up for it. Lucy will be devastated at the fact that she hadn't spoken with or used her spirits in two years, but Natsu made sure to keep them company whenever they came down so hopefully it won't be too bad. Gray will be unable to look him in the eye, especially since he got _frozen_ with _ice_ and he's and _ice_ mage. Natsu will never let that go. Juvia will be in an even greater hurry to get Gray, learning that they missed in total nine years of their lives. Gramps will maybe be somewhat ashamed that he hadn't noticed the attack in the first place, but happy that they only lost two years. The fact that Gildarts also got stuck in it will shock everyone. Levy will definitely feel awkward around him for some time because he was _finally_ able to tell what she is reading after the ice melted down a bit. And everyone... everyone... will be back.

The next day Natsu comes back with a full strawberry cheesecake and puts it in the fridge, the ice has melted so much it's only a matter of time. He closes the fridge door and looks across the guild. They'll probably be freezing when they break out, Natsu will be there for them when that happens. Natsu then takes his spot on the bar and waits.

And waits...

And waits...

waits...

and waits...

waits...

He nearly dozes off after a number of hours, and as the sun is setting he flinches up as a cold hand is placed on his shoulder.

"Natsu?" An old scratchy unused voice asks.

 **A/N: Because I have writers block on my** _ **In-Progress**_ **stories I'm really getting on it, but let me just say that I have roughly 15 other stories I'm working on, not including this one, so sometimes I get more motivation for another than, lets say, the ones I'm uploading. Can't force myself to suddenly get a million ideas for a story! So sorry though! But while school is in session I'll probably update when I finish the chapter, not like usual, but that's my plan during this period of time. Thank you for reading! Til next time see ya!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

 **A/N: I feel like I'm leading into a story... and I know what I'd do, too. Should I make this into a story?**

Natsu couldn't believe the voice beside him or the hand on his shoulder. He slowly turns his head, not trusting his other senses and sees the weary smile of his old guild master.

"Gramps...?" Natsu's voice trembles but then he sees the state of his old guild master and his unusually pale skin and blue lips. It doesn't take a genius to realize the old man must be _freezing_. Turning up his natural body heat Natsu quickly warms the area around him enough to help Makarov, but then he goes under the bar counter and grabs a blanket and wraps it around the shivering old man. "Here." Makarov takes it without a word and holds it around his shivering body

"W-what happened?" Makarov says while still shivering.

"You guys were frozen in a two-year sleep." Natsu summarizes and watches as Makarov scans the guild hall with eyes wide in shock. "They should be out soon, but you're the first one." Natsu states calmly, surprised by his own casualness. After all he has been dealing with that fact the entire time.

"I'm sorry." The old man says as he turns back to Natsu with a solemn expression.

"For what?" Natsu chuckles. The conversation doesn't continue as they hear another person in the silent room gasp for air.

"C-C-C-C-COOOOLD!" Wendy shrieks as she rubs her arms in an attempt to warm herself. Natsu heats up the room even more and grabs yet another blanket before rushing over to her.

"It's alright Wendy." Natsu says soothingly while wrapping the blanket around her then hugging the girl. "Calm down." He rubs her arms and she slowly but surly warms up.

"I h-h-h-heard y-y-you." She manages to say even though she's freezing. "I felt l-l-like I was in-in-in a void and t-t-then you're voice broke through it." She says looking up at him with her large eyes. "T-th-thank you." Natsu then smiles down warmly at her and scoops her into his arms.

"No, thank you." He replies in a soft voice before carrying her towards the bar. "Well Gramps, come on." Natsu reaching out a hand and takes his small guild master before the older man can argue. He takes them both to the infirmary and lays them on their own beds. Feeling the temperature of the room he decides it isn't warm enough and snaps his fingers lighting a small, floating flame. He does this a few more times until there are multiple small flames drifting throughout the room but not catching anything on fire, just warming it up for the two.

He looks to the two, Wendy who wrapped herself in all the blankets on her bed like a cocoon, and Makarov who's just admiring the flames, trying to act like he isn't cold even with the tips of his mustache frosted.

"And what's this?" He finally asks the question Natsu was expecting.

"Just a trick I learned over the years." He gives a simple response, "Don't worry, nothing will catch on fire." And with that Natsu goes back into the main hall and sees a sight that previously would've made him laugh.

Gray has unfrozen enough for his time to continue and his battle cry comes out of his mouth in more of a choked shout in surprise and he falls over as the momentum he had with his punch was lost when he was frozen. Falling flat on his face he groans in irritation before lifting his head up and seeing his frozen guild mates in shock.

"What the hell...?" he says while looking around, "Did I do this?"

"You wish you could." Gray's head turns so he's looking at Natsu and his eyes widen. Natsu looks... older. His outfit different.

"Flame Brain?"

"The one and only."

"What the hell's going on?!" Natsu then sighs when he realizes something: He'll have to explain it _every single time someone wakes up_.

"Go ask Gramps, he's in the infirmary." Gray's eyes widen at this and in a split second he's up and running to the infirmary. _Maybe he got the wrong message from that_ , Natsu thinks as he sees the urgency and fear in Gray's expression.

"-and I told-FUCK IT'S COLD!" A familiar voice shouts and Natsu turns to see Wakaba coming from his trance. "Oi, Macao! OI!"

"Don't worry, he'll wake up." Natsu says while walking over to the bar and leaning over, grabbing a blanket from behind it. He gives it to the shaking Wakaba before instructing him to just go to the infirmary.

"Damn Natsu, you look older." Wakaba says but Natsu simply pushes him up the stairs. The cold man doesn't bother arguing as he can feel the nice heat radiating from the infirmary.

Next is Lucy but when she comes out she blinks a few times, Natsu doesn't even realize she's out yet. She turns her head, slightly shivering in the cold.

"N-Natsu?" She whispers but his keen ears catch her words.

"Luce?" he says before walking over to her and giving her his hand. She looks in shock as the frozen Titania, Levy and Juvia are across from her and turns to Natsu with a questioning gaze. "I can explain later, but for now, here. You must be cold." He gives her a blanket and as she wraps it around her self she then sneezes into it, her cheeks slightly pink. "Damn..." Natsu moans, how many others might come out sick?

"Okay-" She sneezes. Natsu gently leads her to the infirmary and puts her in her own bed. _There aren't enough beds_. He analyzes, ignoring Gray's glare as the ice mage taps his foot expectantly.

"Oi, ash breath."

"Not now Stripper." Natsu dismisses him and leaves the room. Gray, however, is not deterred and follows his once rival from the room, coming out just in time to see him helping an unfrozen Levy.

"W-what happened?" She trembles and looks to her team mates. "Why are Jet and D-Droy like that?"

"Don't worry," Natsu says in a soothing tone while wrapping her up in a blanket, "they're alright and'll be praising you any minute now." Natsu looks up to see Gray before looking back down to the small bluette. "Please take her to the infirmary." Any other time Gray would fight with Natsu, but the weary look in the pinkettes eyes and the pure confusion and worry in the book worms stop him. He simply takes the girl and leads her to the warmest room in the building. Her book forgotten on the ground beneath the table.

Next Alzack comes out of his trance, and Natsu notices the older males body tense once he sees his frozen family. _This won't be good_. Natsu deducts and his eyes narrow as he watches the scene play out. Alzack, still shivering, moves his hand up and places shaky fingers on his wife's frozen cheek, snatching his hand back to himself in denial.

"No..." he turns to his daughter, frozen with a smile and her toy, "no... They can't be..." He drops to his knees. "H-how could this happen..." Tears prick his eyes as his heart shatters into pieces, the cold not affecting him in the slightest. Suddenly a blanket falls over him snapping him out of his moment.

"They aren't dead." Natsu reassures the man and helps the father to stand. "Don't lose hope, I promise I'll tell you when they wake-"

"No." Alzack firmly says, "when they 'wake', I'll be here for them." Natsu doesn't dare stop him as he feels the same way with everyone else. Alzack then looks Natsu up and down before raising a brow in confusion.

"I'll explain it later." Alzack honestly couldn't care less and Natsu knew it. He just wants his family back, and so he sits right back at the table beside his frozen wife. Just waiting for his family to return.

Erza is next.

When she comes out she doesn't react to the cold, but simply looks around, the movement getting Natsu's attention. And soon he realizes why she's looking around and is racing for the fridge. In an instant an entire strawberry cheesecake is presented in front of her by a smiling Natsu.

"Natsu?" She says with a questioning tone while a fork is pressed into her palm.

"I know it's confusing," he says in a soft tone, ignoring Alzack who's just watching them, "but bare with me and don't freak out. Everyone is gonna be fine, trust me. So here," he pushes the cake closer, "and welcome back."

"Wha..." she looks at the cake then back up to Natsu. Cake. Natsu. Cake. Natsu.

"Cake now, questions later?" She doesn't need to think twice as she delves into her favorite treat. He knew it was only because she trusted him that she wasn't freaking out over her guild mates and he felt honored to have that much trust.

A cough comes from a corner of the guild and out steps a Laxus shaking frost off of him.

"What the hell?" He looks around and sees the Rajinshuu frozen, surrounding where he used to be. Looking up the dragon slayer sees Natsu and marches over to him. "What the fuck's going on?"

"Don't worry, everyone is alrigh-"

"I didn't ask that." Laxus growls while grabbing Natsu by the scarf, "What's. Going. On."

"Do you have the patience to wait like everyone else?" Natsu asks calmly and the youngest Dreyar raises a brow at that. He analyzes Natsu for a moment, scans the guild and smells others upstairs. Making a silent decision he chooses to go to where his grandfather is rather than deal with the other dragon slayer. "That was easier than I thought it'd be."

"-ARK!" A small voice coughs out and Natsu turns in time to see Asuka fall back on her butt, eyes wide in shock.

"I-I'm coooooooollldd!" She cries out in confusion and Alzack is there in a second wrapping her in his blanket so she looks like a caterpillar. Natsu leaves the family be in their happy moment, knowing Alzack would take care of his daughter.

"It's warmer in the infirmary." Is all he says. Alzack looks to his wife then his child before going up like Natsu initially told him to. Erza finishes the cake in record time and Gray comes down in time to see his team mate.

"Erza, glad to see you're out of it."

"What is 'it'?" She questions with a glare making the ice mage sweat.

"No one knows." Natsu admits with a sigh. "Ice is the only answer I can give you. Ice magic."

"It's fucking freezing and that's the only explanation you're gonna give us?" Gajeel grumbles as he has his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. "No fuckin dip it's ice magic. Good goin Salamander." Natsu doesn't react to Gajeel's words which shocks all present.

"Warmest room is upstairs." Is all Natsu says as he looks into the other dragon slayers eyes. This puts Gajeel off for a second, as soon as they made eye contact Gajeel knows they weren't talking to the same Natsu they knew, call it dragon instinct if you will but Gajeel knew.

"W-where's Asuka?!" Bisca's frightened voice echos through the room and Natsu soon has a blanket in hand and goes to the woman who's on her hands and knees on the floor. "She-she was right here, I swear! Why's everyone frozen-where's Alzack!?"

"Shh..." Natsu soothes her and wraps her in a blanket before kneeling in front of her. "They're upstairs, that's all. Everything will be fine, everyone will be fine, don't worry. Just go see your family." Bisca looks to him before looking upstairs where Alzack is standing having heard his wife's cries. He quickly rushes down and takes her in his arms. Alzack looks at Natsu for a moment with a content smile before taking his freezing wife upstairs.

Next out is Max, Reedus then Droy. Far into the night Natsu just sits on the bar counter, many people travelling up and down the stairs, trying to ask him what's going on but Natsu simply says he'll explain later. Erza, Gajeel, Laxus and Gray tried to intimidate and force him to explain but Natsu easily held his ground. Everyone is too weak to fight after being frozen for two years anyway, so they didn't have the strength to try harder. When Juvia is unfrozen she races to Gray and smothers him with a hug and began crying after learning they were frozen for two years from Makarov. Romeo was next, and Natsu had to comfort him until his father came, which took a few hours. Within that time Jet and Elfman were released alongside Bickslow.

Throughout the night Natsu got no sleep, helping all the members who awoke, many whom he didn't know all too well but he helped regardless. Natsu is there for everyone when they wake up, warming them up and wrapping them in a blanket. The next day the exceeds along with the rest of the Rajinshuu broke free from the ice, and after 48 hours of helping his guild mates non-stop, they are all free.

When Natsu takes the final person up and into the infirmary he sees many scowls, although he didn't need to see that to know many people are irritated with him. They suddenly awoke freezing, surrounded by other frozen 'family' members, and the only person who knows what happened postpones telling them.

"So?" Gray growls out from where he's standing. Natsu flat out ignores him as he rests a shivering Mira on her bed.

"Mira-nee!"

"NEE-SAAAAN!" Elfman hugs her while bawling while Lisanna, after chuckling for a moment, joins in the hug. As Natsu sees this he then searches for a chair, not finding an open one in time he just plops down onto the floor. Exhausted, he then falls onto his back with his eyes closed, everyone watching him.

"Are you gonna tell us now!?"

It was a nice four seconds for him.

Natsu cracks an eye to glare at Laxus, the man is doing his best at containing his anger, but that doesn't mean he's doing a good job. Natsu sighs and closes both eyes again, nearly making Gajeel jump him, but then the pinkette begins to speak.

"About two years ago the entire guild was frozen," Natsu says, knowing he has everyone's attention, "the man who did it is dead, he killed himself. We don't know how he did it, we don't know what spell he used, we don't know the true reason. But we do know that a couple days ago you guys showed the first sign of actually coming out of the ice."

"That's it?" Gray asks with an edge to his voice.

"That's it."

"You're kidding me."

"You know Gray," Natsu opens both eyes and looks up at his old rival, his glare extremely effective, "I wonder what Lyon'll say to you next time you meet. I mean, just putting it out there, you're an ice mage who got frozen for two years in someone else's magic." Natsu finishes off with a smirk and Gray begins stammering at that, unsure how to respond.

"W-well you're the fire mage who couldn't melt the ice!" He bites back, cursing himself for stuttering. At that Natsu's grin grows sad and he looks up at the ceiling.

"Yeah, I am." Natsu then gets an evil glint in his eye and they go back to his rival in a spark of his old self. Reaching up he ruffles his scarf a bit before his fingers wrap around a familiar metal object, and he clasps it in his hand before extending his arm out above him. "But I'm also _this_." He takes it between two fingers and lifts it high for his rival to see; the Wizards Saint brooch.

Gajeel and Gray both stare at it with dropped jaws, as well as many others, however Makarov isn't surprised.

"D-d-did you know?" Gildarts asks his guild master who gives a slight nod. "Since when!"

"Since he took me up here, I caught a glimpse of it." Gildarts then decides to stand and walk over to the man he views as a son. He looks down at the tired pinkette and notices the weariness in the boys eyes and the dark bags beneath them. Sitting down beside Natsu he uncharacteristically and gently but firmly grasps the boys wrist before slowly putting it back against the ground.

"Go to sleep, Natsu." He says in a fatherly way, and that's all Natsu really needed in his tired state as he just closes his eyes and is out like a light.

 **-x-**

When Natsu wakes up after a couple of hours he tasks himself with contacting the friends of all the guild members. Lyon was quick to come for Gray, and of course bragged about getting to S-Class before his 'brother'. Yajima for Gramps and many others. Lucy, after a few days while trying to warm up and lose her cold after being frozen for two years, called out her spirits one by one and apologized over and over for 'abandoning them', but none of them were truly mad with them. Jellal came to check on Erza, Chellia on Wendy, and anyone you could think of came for many different people. Mest came back in tears and surrounded the master, beginning a conversation long awaited by Mest.

It took a while but finally everyone slowly got back to normal. Although Natsu had to explain to them that Fairy Tail was unable to participate in the Grand Magic Games over the course of two years because they only had _one_ available member, so Fairy Tail once again dropped, although not as low as they had in the seven years.

It has been three days now and Lucy is finally healthy again, and she races from the infirmary with a smile on her face. She sees the older pinkette at the bar with a flaming drink in hand and knows what she has to do.

"Natsu," She goes up to him with a smile, but then bows, "thank you so much!" Natsu's eyes grow wide but then he gives a warm smile. She straightens her back and looks into his onyx eyes, "Thank you for taking care of my spirits while I was away."

"No problem Luce." He smiles down at her. Natsu's eyes then flick over to people causing quite the scene; Juvia and Gray. She's much crazier than she used to be as Natsu predicted, and has just been _begging_ for him to give her a chance. "Gimme a sec Luce." She nods and watches as he advances towards the two before placing a hand on Gray's shoulder. "Oi, Stripper," Gray freezes as does Juvia but Natsu knows he's listening, "she's just asking for a chance," he then leans down to whisper in his ear, "just give her that chance, you know you want to." Gray looks at Natsu out of the corner of his eye and Natsu then walks back to the bar feeling accomplished.

Natsu looks around and sees Levy frantically searching the guild for something, something which Natsu knows. He waves her over and when she sees him she rushes to his side.

"What is it, Natsu?" She asks and he can tell she just wants to get back to searching.

"Looking for this?" He re-quips, which catches everyone off-guard, and then in his hands is the book she was frozen with. Her face then turns bright red as he gives it to her with a smile. He then whispers into her ear, "I wouldn't read that in the guild if I were you." She squeaks and rushes out of the building, Natsu just laughing at her reaction.

"What was that?" Lucy asks, but then Erza stomps over and stops in front of him with her hands on her hips.

"What was _that_?" She demands and he can see a spark in her eye.

"I just gave her back her book." Natsu says calmly, everyone watching to see what'll happen next.

"What did you say to make her run out like that?"

"That's none of your business." His response shocks the majority of the guild, including Erza.

"... ... _... What?!_ " She seethes with anger but Natsu is still unaffected.

"You heard me. There's a reason I whispered it." Makarov scoots farther down on the bar and everyone else takes that as a signal of sorts to back away.

" _Nats-_ " She growls but Natsu cuts her off.

"No Erza," He says with a sigh and looks into his now empty cup, "Mira, can I have another?"

"Sure thing, Natsu." She says while trying not to giggle, he is totally doing that just to get on the red heads nerves.

"As I was saying-" Erza's eyes are red as she swings a sword she just equipped at Natsu's head. Natsu catches the blade with his hand and holds it from cutting his palm with his fingers. His expression doesn't change even after a shock wave comes from the impact point and only ruffles his hair. "As I was saying Erza, I think you need to understand that you don't need to know every little thing." Erza doesn't catch a word he says, still stunned that he caught her sword so fast. "And you don't scare me anymore," he states, "I have seen things scarier than a strong mage with a short temper. Oh, thank you Mira." He says as Mira passes him his drink.

"You're welcome Natsu."

"A strong mage with a short temper..." Erza repeats with her bangs shadowing her eyes.

"Sorry, but it's true. I've been travelling around all Earth-land and there are many things much stronger than me that I've had to face. I'm surprised I'm still in one piece!" He jokes with a cheeky grin. Erza doesn't say anything as she trembles in silent fury. Her initial attack hadn't worked and she knew that another one wouldn't, what could she possibly do?

"Natsu, could you please not invoke Erza's wrath?" Makarov says from behind the counter, only the top of his head and his eyes visible. "She may not scare you but she scares other people in the guild." Natsu looks from the hiding old man to the Scarlet mage and he simply places his hand on her shoulder.

"Come now, Erza." He says with a smile. "People keep secrets, and you don't have to know every single one. No one has pestered you about the things you don't tell, so why should you pester others?"

"I just want to know why Levy ran away like that!" Erza releases her anger in a short burst of words, her booming voice making the people who had yet to hide do so.

"She feels embarrassed, and I won't tell you why, but don't worry it's not like it's scarring." Natsu says with a warm smile. Erza analyzes Natsu with narrowed eyes for a moment. To her, he was the same boisterous oddity just yesterday, and now he's a grown man. Not to forget to mention his odd change in his attire.

"So Salamander, how the hell did _you_ become a Wizard Saint?" Natsu looks at Gajeel for a moment, blinks a few times as if confused on why he asked, and then laughs.

"Oh, I miss that nickname!" Natsu admits, catching a few off guard. "Sorry, but people don't call me Salamander anymore. How'd I become a Wizard Saint, you ask? Well I'll tell ya. I took out Acnologia." Everyone freezes at that, the Tenrou group remembering the mighty beast, actually _everyone_ remembers the mighty beast from when Tartaros attacked and the final battle.

"You... took out... Acnologia?" Erza breaths, she wasn't expecting that at all. The creature was monstrous and powerful, a foe they never truly figured out how to defeat, an opponent as frightening as Zeref himself.

"Y-you don't mean..." Gray manages out with his jaw dropped as far as it'll go.

"You _killed_ Acnologia?" Gildarts finishes with wide eyes, remembering when he had faced the beast alone and barely made it out alive. Natsu just nods to the older males words, many people shouting out in denial to the facts soon after.

"There's just _no way-_ "

"Not even all of Tenrou group could-"

"Even _Gildarts_ couldn't-"

"When did you gain such power?" Natsu looks to Makarov and ignores all other questions, and once everyone notices he isn't listening to anyone else they slowly quiet down to a more reasonable level.

"I guess you're wondering _when_ I did it, which would be about... six weeks ago? Maybe two months?" Natsu shakes his head, "Exacts aren't that important. Anyway, I got the power while going around Fiore and such, trying to find a spell or something to melt the ice you guys were stuck in."

"Did you come upon anything useful?" Natsu raises an 'are-you-kidding-me' brow at Gajeel's question.

"Well of course I did!" Natsu states, "I came upon all _kinds_ of things!" He says with the flourish of his hands, "I met so many people and they told me all _kinds_ of things you wouldn't believe half of them! However there were many places I wasn't able to get into, although a few still helped me..." He drones of and strokes his chin. He looks up to see all eyes on him and shakes his head. "Well don't let my stories hold you-"

"Please continue!" Levy, who returned, pipes up. And so he tells them, slowly attracting more people.

"Well, I journeyed _all_ across Eathland..." He begins and speaks of lands of ice and volcanoes that are practically always erupting, and forests that stretch across countries, of people living on a lacrima in a foreign place. Of the different types of magic he stumbled on and the kinds of people he met. Of odd and rare flowers he had found that seemed to be made of crystal. Of healing water he discovered and of so many different creatures Natsu is sure he must've been hallucinating when he saw them. He had seen a cerberus, a phoenix, fire cat, a clan of (hostile) wyverns, griffins, harpy, a friendly enfield, a thunderbird, he even befriended a jackalope!

"Wow..." The younger ones and Levy marvel at what he says. And the stories continue on and on well into the evening, and Natsu still holds everyone's attention. Telling them of the beautiful, strong, and sometimes frightening things he encountered. But few, his old team and guild master, notice a small spark in his eyes, dim compared to the fire his eyes once held. He went through hardships that he dare not tell to them just yet. He suffered alone for two years as he waited for his family to return, and although people tried to help him no one succeeded.

And now that they're back, they're going to make up for it. They guild members smile as Natsu's thundering but warm and contagious laugh fills the guild. The guild which was once cold, icy and practically empty now full of warmth and lively as if it hadn't been asleep for two years.

A tear escapes Natsu's eye, and he freezes when he feels the odd sensation, and realizes that everyone it back, and the tear doesn't freeze on his face like the many others he shed in this same guild for those years. Another falls at that realization. The guild is warm, there's a fight going on somewhere that he can hear and even join. Another tear. And another. The tears don't stop and he smiles as he tries to wipe them away, not mad at all.

The people who see him cry don't feel sad at all. Those aren't sad tears, not at all. The tears are happy ones, and are as contagious as his laugh as they all feel both his pain and his happiness. To them they try to understand him, and to him he couldn't care less. Because they're back.

They're _back_.

With a grin so bright it challenges the sun, Natsu is surrounded by the hug his family envelopes him in.

Was it really two years ago when he promised to save them? The years he spent so easily washed away in these few moments. It seems like in this moment, here and now, those years are nothing. And they can move on, as a family. And face the challenges they can and must.

As a whole. A family.

 **A/N: Didn't know how to end this, and as for the creatures mentioned look em up and choose what design/pic you like best, and there you have it! That's what he met! Thank you so much for reading this, even if you didn't review and whatnot. Thank you!**

 **MyN (Of this story): That's it?**

 **WW (me): That's it.**

 **Old Natsu (Seven years Natsu): Really-wait, OLD NATSU!**

 **Aki: Why are we here?**

 **MyN: Wolves?**

 **WW: *Shrugs* No real reason. Anyway, again, thank you so much for reading this my lovely people, I truly do appreciate it!**

 **MyN: Me as well, thank you!**

 **Old Natsu: Uh, yeah...**

 **Aki: We're thankful too, ignore him, he's mad that he's the oldest Natsu.**

 **MyN: Goodbye people!**


End file.
